Tamirneh Kifle*, Demeke Mengist and Solomon Shibeshi
Tomato requires warm, clear, dry conditions and altitudes ranging between 700 and 2000 meter above sea level. The optimum temperature for seed germination ranges between 18 and 24°C and the maximum 30°C and minimum 8-1 T'C. Plant population and spacing are important management practices that greatly influence yield and quality of tomato fruits. The distance between plants and between rows depends on the methods and purpose of production, soil fertility, plant structure, vine types and farm equipment. The study was conducted in Hawora kebele of Mirab Badawacho woreda Southern Ethiopia. This study aims evaluating tomato plant spacing on Roma VF varieties (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) on yield and quality of Roma VF Tomatoes. Three treatments were arranged in randomized complete block design with five replications under furrow irrigation method. The three treatments were (25 cm × 100 cm, 30 cm × 100 cm and 35 cm × 100 cm) between tomato plants. The ANOVA showed that there is no significant difference between the treatment on marketable, unmarketable and total yield of tomato at (p<0.05). The maximum marketable yield recorded was 21.55 t/ha on 25 cm spacing while the lowest was 19.19 t/ha on 30 cm plant spacing. The population numbers under 25 cm spacing were higher than 30 cm and 35 cm spacing. The size of the fruit under 35 cm spacing is better than 25 cm and 30 cm spacing. Therefore, in area where land resource is sufficient 35 cm spacing is recommended to obtain equivalent yield with large fruit size, but in land scarce area 25 cm spacing is recommended to obtain optimum yield.
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